Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation
Niamh Smyth TD is Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for Trade Promotion, AI and Digital Transformation.
It is the first occasion there has been a Minister designated with the portfolio concerning AI. There is a large body of work now being undertaken by the Minister to provide targeted support, training and advice to Irish enterprises to drive the adoption and deployment of AI systems across all business and industry sectors.
Minister Smyth is also currently working on new legislation that will outline how the EU AI Act will be enforced in Ireland. The Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill will designate the regulators responsible for implementing and enforcing the EU AI Act in Ireland, as well as provide for penalties organisations could face for non-compliance.
Minister Smyth has been a member of parliament since 2016, having first been elected to local government in 2009. Minister Smyth has been elected to parliament on three successive occasions and was made a Minister in the Department of Enterprise in February of this year.
She was previously the Chairperson of the Oireachtas Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht. During her tenure she chaired the high-profile investigation into payments at the Irish public service broadcaster.